Hitachi Construction Machinery has partnered with Silicon Valley-based manufacturer Dimaag-AI to develop an electrified compact hydraulic excavator. Hitachi will provide the technical modeling of the base machine and specification requirements for electrification, while Dimaag will integrate its “Electric No Compromise Off-Road Ecosystem” (ENCORE) into production. Completion is expected in December 2024, and the new vehicle will be unveiled at Munich’s Bauma 2025 Trade Fair next April. Market launch is expected in Europe by 2027.
The new 1.7-ton excavator will join Hitachi’s current fleet of electrified vehicles, but its unique aspect is Dimaag’s ENCORE system. The ecosystem was first introduced at the Consumer Electric Show (CES) in January of this year, showcasing its high power, swappable battery modules, advanced thermal management system, inverters, motors, power electronics, and software for Electric Vehicles (EV), and charging stations.
“To realize Zero-Emission, it is important to provide not only our products but also solutions combined with related products such as energy storage system,” said Kazunori Nakamura, Vice President and Executive Officer at Hitachi. “For this purpose, the collaboration with various partners is the key to success. Since the battery module for this collaboration from Dimaag is versatile and applicable to various electric products, further acceleration of the electrification at construction sites can be expected.”
Tesla co-founder and VP of Engineering at Dimaag, Ian Wright, also expressed excitement over the partnership and launch, saying the ENCORE technology has long been prototyped and deployed on off-road vehicles to validate the design, safety, and performance. “We are honored to partner with Hitachi Construction Machinery to be a pioneer and enable economies of scale for the ENCORE tech stack. This partnership marks a significant step towards achieving electrification of agricultural and construction machinery, with no compromises,” he says.
Dimaag was founded in 2018 and is a leading Electric Solutions provider for EV/Mobility, ESS, and megawatt DC Fast Chargers. It has teams in the USA, Japan, and India and is committed to disrupting the industry with innovative solutions.
Hitachi is a construction machinery manufacturer that develops, manufactures, sells, and services businesses worldwide for its wheel loaders, hydraulic excavators, mining machinery, compaction equipment, and more. It is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and employs roughly 26,000 people worldwide.
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